IMPROVING THE KNOWLEDGE OF SOUTH ITALIAN MICROLEPIDOPTERA: SPILOMELINAE (LEPIDOPTERA CRAMBIDAE) FROM CALABRIA WITH A FOCUS ON FORESTED HABITATS

In this paper we reported the faunistic data concerning the subfamily of Spilomelinae (Crambidae) collected in several sites, almost throughout the Calabria region. The specimens were identified at species level by morphological comparison and a sample of it was submitted to DNA barcoding. Difficult species were dissected and identified based on morphological analysis of their genitalia. In this paper we provide new distribution data for 30 species of Spilomelinae, increasing the knowledge of this group in South Italy and in the Calabria region. Particularly interesting are the results concerning Metasia suppandalis (Hübner, 1823), new for peninsular Italy and Metasia rosealis Ragonot, 1895 reported only twice for Italy, so far. We also reported 13 species new for the microlepidopteran fauna of the region. In addition, we reported Nomophila noctuella (Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775), a very common species, only reported for Calabria in 1863 and Hydriris ornatalis (Duponchel, 1832) only reported for the region in the year of 2000. Key Words: biodiversity, DNA barcoding, new records, forests, crambid snout moths